SECTION 3.
The City supports groups and initiatives
that will make San Antonio
a more compassionate City,
and through its Faith Based Initiative
the City will work with the community and neighborhoods
to foster compassion
in a reasoned and coordinated manner.
If you have read the City of San Antonio Compassionate City Resolution, signed by Mayor Ron Nirenberg on June 22, 2017 — the FIRST resolution he signed as our new mayor! — the administration of the Charter for Compassion rests with the city’s Faith-Based Initiative.
The San Antonio Faith-Based Initiative is an interfaith collaboration comprised of motivated, compassionate people representing San Antonio’s vast array of faiths and religions. At the intersection of faith and society, the Initiative is a partnering approach to collaboration between the faith community and governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and community groups to serve the human needs and people of San Antonio. We are “In the City for Good” to establish deeper civic engagement and religious understanding and to create a larger community to help the larger community. It was formed in February, 2017 with the Rev. Ann Helmke as its first director.
Earlier this month the Faith-Based Initiative formed a working group of about 20 people representing the diverse faith communities in San Antonio. These folks will be meeting monthly and carrying forward the directions discerned by the larger quarterly Convenings. Each member of the Working Group will be forming an Action Team of 5-7 people to engage with a community concern or another Initiative component. If you want consideration for service on an Action Team, please email Community Faith-Based Liaison Ann Helmke at ann.helmke@sanantonio.gov by the end of July.
Here is a list of the action teams, including one specifically for Compassionate San Antonio:
Technology
Convenings & Conversations
Communications & PR
Strategy & Scalability
Emergency Broadcast System & Preparedness
Compassionate San Antonio
Religious Discrimination
Homelessness & Hunger
Immigration & Refugees
Literacy
Public Health
Mental Health
Children & Foster Care
The community grassroots initiative for Compassionate San Antonio is not going away! For the past (almost) five years we have focused on educating the community about compassion and getting this resolution signed. We are now discerning what our NEW role will be — stay tuned!
